Wierd Problem please help!

[TmDrak]

Alright, this problem first started happening maybe a month ago. I started to notice little glitches on the desktop wallpaper. Then maybe a couple weeks ago it got to the point where windows would not even start up. Whenever I had pressed the button on the pc for bootup, it got to the windows loading screen then restarted over and over again. So I reformatted my computer and everything started to work fine. After maybe 2 days I decided I needed more ram for some pc games. Following a suggestion from my brother I took our my original ram (to see which way my new ram would go in) then put it back in with the new ram in the 2nd slot. When I started it up it beeped three times then shutdown. I learned from the CompUSA guy that the ram was not compatible. So taking out the new ram I ran my computer again with my original ram and it would get to the windows loading screen then restart just like last time. I had to reformat my computer AGAIN! Once everything was fine and working, the CompUSA guy decided that I should take in my original ram for them to find a compatible one. After they gave me my new ram, I went home and put them both in. When I tried to start up my computer it went to the windows loading screen then restarted. Frustrated I reformatted my computer a third time! After maybe 2 days of my pc working well with my 2 rams (adds to 768, one 256 and the new 512) my computer started flickering like it did from the beginning of this whole issue. Now whenever I restart, it gets to the windows screen, flickers about 8 times then restarts. Sometimes if I hit ctrl alt delete at the exact moment my desktop comes on, it will flicker a few times then go normal. This is where im at right now...lucky to be on. Please help me.

[Catweazle]

Have you tried using just the new (replacement) 512Mb RAM module in slot 1, without the 256Mb original module installed? It sounds suspiciously like the original module might be faulty.

[TmDrak]

Yes I actually did try that = )
It came up with a irql_less_or_equal to thing..along those lines...
It wouldnt boot up it told me to restart...so I put them both back together again...

[Catweazle]

What motherboard is in your system please?

Also, are all these RAM modules you mention cheap, generic ones or are they quality brands such as Kingston, Kingmax, Geil, Corsair or OCZ?

I'm suspecting generic RAM which is having 'issues' with your particular motherboard, and suffering from the fact that Windows XP is rather intolerant of such 'issues'.

My suggestion would be to Use the 512Mb module in Slot 1, wipe the hard drive clean and install Windows fresh and clean, then see if it's stable. If so, add the other module and see if it continues to be stable.

[TmDrak]

I don't know if this will be any help, but when I ran it in safe mode, a error popped up saying something about my GeForce 4 not working or something. It said Microsoft Windows has had an error and something or other about my GeF.4 being the prob.

[TmDrak]

How do I figure out what my motherboard is?

And also the Ram modules arent the cheap generic ones, I had to go to Gateway.com to find out which module to get. It was a PC2700 DDR...

[Catweazle]

Download and run CPU-Z

Then let us know what is reported as your motherboard make and model, and also what is reported as the make and model of your RAM modules. (You'll need to use the drop-down box on the Memory tab to find info about both RAM modules.

If that is a Gateway PC, it would also help if you let us know what model of PC it is. It's a Gateway what?

[TmDrak]

I just had to restart my computer because after 3/4 done with writing down the information it froze on me, it wouldnt let me do anything...im running pc-doctor right now running a motherboard test. Give me maybe 5 minutes to give you the info...

[Catweazle]

I'd also be checking that all fans in the PC are working correctly. It could be an overheating problem.

Also, the info about the display driver problem could have relevence. Perhaps the display driver is corrupted. Try this:
* download a display driver installation package from www.nvidia.com I'd suggest you use the 'Archived drivers' there, and download the last of the 4x.xx series drivers. Later driver versions are not really optimal for GeForce 4 cards.
* Right-click My Computer and choose 'Properties' to bring up System Properties. Run Device Manager from the Hardware tab. Locate the entry for the display card and choose Uninstall. Do not reboot.
* Use Add/Remove programs to uninstall any NVidia display driver entries you see there.
* Reboot, and cancel out of any 'Found hardware' dialogues which appear when windows restarts.
* Install the device driver by running the executable file you download from NVidia.

See if that helps.

[TmDrak]

Its definetly my graphic card, i got another error and it said that my card is causing system instability. Pcdoctor told me that it failed the polygon draw test or something. Will doing what you said above fix this? As i'm writing this its flickering on and off...

[Catweazle]

It may and it may not. I would also reinstall the motherboard chipset drivers, preferably before trying to correct any possible problems with the display drivers.

It might be that your display card is on the blink. Does the fan on it work properly? Is it spinning, and are there any slowdown/speedup fluctuations noticeable when you look at the display card fan running?

[TmDrak]

I already went ahead and uninstalled the drivers and rebooted...i'm now on the Intel Graphics Controller for display. I tried running the nvidia driver installer (45.33) and I reboot after its done, but it still is on the Graphics Controller and in system it says Video Controller (VGA Compatible) under other devices..it has a exclamation mark on it. I think this fixed it, yet I need it to be back on my nvidia card..can u please help?

[MartyMcFly]

Doing the above will possibly fix a software fault with your Graphics driver. If you Graphics card is busted then it won't help and nothing will help except replacing a faulty component, (like a fan for example) or replacing the card if its more serious.

You should do everything to check out the software fault before you spend some cash. Try what Catweazle suggested, but after that, and you have no improvement, if your happy to open up the case on your system, then you could check that the fan is correctly working on the card, it should spin like mad, and appear fairly stable from vibrations. Obviously running an open PC with power on is not ideal, and its up to you if you feel comfortable doing so. With the power off, check that it is clean inside, and the connections are clean.

[TmDrak]

It was just a software fault for my graphic card, now I need help to get my graphic card set as the display...

[Catweazle]

Hang on, is the monitor connected to the NVidia card? If so, the system shouldn't be running on an Intel Graphics driver. Is there an Intel display entry showing up in Device Manager? I'm curious about what you mean by
but it still is on the Graphics Controller and in system it says Video Controller (VGA Compatible) under other devices..it has a exclamation mark on it.

Please slow down a bit and decribe EXACTLY how you have things connected up there.

[TmDrak]

Yes the monitor is connected to the nvidia card. Under the device manager, under display adapters it comes up with Intel(R) 82845G Graphics Controller. Underneath other devices it says Video Controller (VGA Compatible).

[TmDrak]

I think the video controller is my GeForce4..under device status it says:

The drivers for this device are not installed. (Code 28)

To reinstall the drivers for this device, click Reinstall Driver.

I've run the driver installer for my card like you said...(the older 4x.xx version) yet it remains like this.

[Catweazle]

Then uninstall that Intel entry (and any Add/Remove programs entry which is related). follow the instructions I gave for uninstalling the NVidia display earlier. Shut down when both parts of the job are complete.

Then power up and go into BIOS setup. See if you can find an entry in there somewhere for the onboard graphics, and disable it if you find one. Save and reboot. Again, make sure you Cancel out of any Found Hardware or Install Device dialogues you might be presented with.

You gotta get rid of that Intel graphics entry for sure.

It might be that a jumper needs to be changed on the motherboard to disable the onboard display. I can't be sure and you might need to contact Gateway's support section to get instructions.

You never did let us know precisely what model that Gateway system is. We might be able to find more detailed info on Gateway's website if we know exactly what we're looking for! ;)

[TmDrak]

How do i find out what model I have?

[Catweazle]

You could try looking at the thing to see if anything is printed on the case, on the label at the back, or in the manual or other documentation which came with it!